Honduras should investigate attack on two journalists

New York, May 23, 2013--Honduran authorities must conduct a full and
thorough investigation into Monday's attack on two journalists in the northern
town of La Ceiba, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Ramón Maldonado, a host for the morning news program "Noticias con
Café" (News with Coffee) on the television station Litoral Atlántico, had left
the station with Daniel Sánchez, a cameraman, at around 9 a.m. to report on a
story in La Ceiba when an unidentified gunman on a motorcycle intercepted the
car, according to local news
reports. The assailant fired several times at the journalists before
escaping, Maldonado told reporters. The men were not injured.

In an interview with the Tegucigalpa-based TV station Hable como
Habla, for which Maldonado is also a correspondent, the journalist told
reporters that he had not received threats prior to the attack. He said he
believed the attack could have stemmed from his recent investigative reports into
the local government, including coverage of the city's debt and its problems in
paying employee salaries and contracts, according to news
reports.

CPJ's calls and emails to the mayor's office were not answered.

"This seems to be an
attempt at censoring a journalist by shooting at him," said Carlos Lauría,
CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas. "Authorities need to
investigate all potential motives, including Ramón Maldonado's reports on local
government issues, and bring all those responsible to justice."

A climate of violence and widespread impunity has made Honduras one
of the most dangerous countries in the region, according to CPJ research. In
April, unidentified gunmen fired
upon Honduran TV journalist Fidelina Sandoval whose work had included
coverage of a sensitive land conflict, according to news reports.

For more data
and analysis on Honduras,
visit CPJ's Attacks on the Press.